Cillian Murphy has been hailed for his ‘awards-worthy’ turn in Netflix‘s new drama Steve, with critics praising the Irish actor’s gripping portrayal of a headteacher on the brink.
And early reviews have raved that the ‘urgent and powerful’ film ‘grabbed them by the throat’.
The Peaky Blinders star takes on the role of Steve, the beleaguered head of Stanton Wood, a controversial residential reform school for boys with severe behavioural problems.
Known as a ‘last-chance saloon’ for troubled teenagers, it is described at one point as ‘a waiting room for borstal’.
Alongside him is his plain-speaking deputy, played with heart and grit by Tracey Ullman.
The story unfolds over a fraught 24 hours in which both the school and its headmaster are pushed to their limits.
Cillian Murphy has been hailed for his ‘awards-worthy’ turn in Netflix ‘s new drama Steve, with critics praising the Irish actor’s gripping portrayal of a headteacher on the brink
The Peaky Blinders star takes on the role of Steve, the beleaguered head of Stanton Wood, a controversial residential reform school for boys with severe behavioural problems
Critics have praised Steve as ‘responsible, intelligent film-making’, with one describing it as ‘urgent and powerful’.
Radio Times awarded the film an impressive four out of five stars, with reviewer Terry Staunton praising Cillian Murphy’s ‘awards-worthy form’ and the team’s ‘responsible, intelligent film-making.’
He wrote: ‘Murphy’s star power and undeniable charisma can’t help but dominate events, and it’s almost exclusively through him that we see Stanton Wood unravel at the start of its careening towards a grimly uncertain future.
‘[Director Tim] Mielants and [writer Max] Porter use their canvas to shine a light on broader issues of social and educational systemic failure without once stumbling into preachiness.’
Empire’s Miriam Balanescu was equally forthcoming with her praise, and also awarded four out of five stars. She writes: ‘There are few actors better able to convey true emotional turmoil than Cillian Murphy.’
She hails the new film as ‘cinematic dynamite,’ pointing in particular to its ‘sheer force of emotion.’
Keeping up the four-star streak, Tori Brazier of Metro also praised the feature as an ‘awards-season contender’ from the streaming giant, adding that she’s ‘still thinking about it after several days.’
Of the supporting cast, Tori says: ‘The energy given off by the ensemble of boys is electric, boisterous and sometimes even dangerous; they’re both funny and capable of breaking your heart.
Known as a ‘last-chance saloon’ for troubled teenagers, it is described at one point as ‘a waiting room for borstal’
Alongside him is his plain-speaking deputy, played with heart and grit by Tracey Ullman (L)
‘There isn’t a weak link in Steve, from writing and acting to its tight execution by director Tim Mielants, who has drawn another faultless performance from Oppenheimer Oscar winner Murphy following Small Things Like These.’
Rolling Stone UK also dished out four stars for the adaptation of Max Porter’s novel Shy.
Anna Smith says: ‘Murphy puts in a committed and believable performance as the man trying to hold everything together while battling his own demons.
‘It’s darkly funny and thought-provoking – and as nail-biting as you might expect.’
The Guardian’s film critic Peter Bradshaw said of the gripping drama that it sees one of Cillian Murphy’s ‘most uninhibited and demonstrative performances.’
In another four-star review, he writes: ‘Murphy and Lycurgo lead an outstanding cast,’ and describes the project as ‘a drama suffused with gonzo energy and the death-metal chaos of emotional pain, cut with slashes of bizarre black humour.’
The Financial Times gave it five out of five stars, and highlighted the strength of ‘brilliant, eloquent’ Murphy is supported by the cast as a whole, with Danny Leigh writing: ‘The whole cast is superb.’
The Times’ Film Critic Kevin Maher, however, scored it a lower than average three out of five stars, although he praised Murphy’s ‘brash and extroverted performance.’
A deeply moving relationship develops between Steve and Shy, played by Jay Lycurgo – a troubled teen trying to reconcile his fragility with his impulse for self-destruction
And early reviews have raved that the ‘urgent and powerful’ film ‘grabbed them by the throat’
‘This is a tough watch, like sitting through someone else’s scream therapy,’ he writes. ‘Almost every scene features a teacher, an angry student and a violent tantrum or altercation.
‘There’s a manic energy to every shaky-cam scene that, by the end, seems to be hiding something. Murphy, however, is mesmerising.’
Mashable’s Kristy Puchko called Steve an ‘energetic and even at times joyful film about hope and community,’ despite its ‘dark moments.’
‘Murphy is the eye of the storm of Steve, exuding an intense focus whether talking to students or venting with his colleagues,’ she writes.
‘His sharp blue eyes ache with the awareness of his responsibilities and the powerlessness an apathetic government gives teachers like him in place of support.’
And The Washington Post’s Ty Burr awarded the film three out of five stars,
He wrote: ‘Steve is honest enough to stay away from happy Hollywood endings, and the final scenes offer both an unexpected twist and a deep and lasting sigh for the people among us for whom the burden becomes too great.’
The film explores the struggles of the students, as well as the mental battles faced by Steve – who gives everything he has to his job and what he perceives as his duty
The Telegraph’s Tim Robey joined the merry band of four-star reviewers and his perception leant heavily on the ‘tremendous’ acting from Murphy.
‘You won’t forget the film’s lippy, hilarious ensemble work in a hurry,’ he says.
Robey praises the adaptation for staying true to the essence of the novel while still carving out its own ‘very different’ script.
‘At a crisp 92 minutes, the film adds vital layers without belabouring its points. In form, it’s raw, jagged, even crude – choices that feel more truthful the longer you sit with them.’
Steve is in cinemas from September 19 and lands on Netflix on October 3.
